2002 BMW M5 Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2002 BMW M5 has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 649,352 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 7 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

AIR BAGS 17V047000 2017-01-20 230,117 affected
Defect

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain 2000-2002 BMW 320i, 323i, 325i, 325xi, 330i, 330xi, 323Ci, 325Ci, 330Ci, M3, 323iT, 325iT and 325xiT vehicles, 2001-2002 525i, 530i, 540i, M5, 525iT and 540iT vehicles, and 2001-2003 X5 3.0i, X5 4.4i, and X5 4.6is vehicles. These vehicles may have had a…

Consequence

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver side air bag module, replacing it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 15, 2017. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417.

AIR BAGS 15V318000 2015-05-28 419,235 affected
Defect

BMW of North America, LLC (BMW) is recalling certain model year 2002-2005 325i, 325xi, 330i, and 330xi Sedans, and 325xi and 325i Sportswagons, 2002-2006 330Ci, 325Ci, and M3 Convertibles and 325i, 330i, and M3 Coupes, 2002-2003 M5, 540i, 525i Sedan, and 530i Sedans, and 540i and 525i Sportswagons, and 2003 X5 3.0i…

Consequence

In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's frontal air bag, the inflator could rupture with metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Remedy

Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the vehicle has been remedied. BMW will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driver air bag module, free of charge. The recall began Aug 2016. Owners may contact BMW customer service at 1-800-525-7417. Note: This recall supersedes recall 14V-348 in…

Complaints by component

AIR BAGS
1
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1
POWER TRAIN
1
SEATS
1
1injuries
STRUCTURE:BODY
1
VISIBILITY
1
1injuries
VISIBILITY:REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER
1
Total complaints7

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“There are no power modifications to my vehicle, I just recently installed a lower mileage engine, along with all of the parts surrounding the engine and transmission (ie clutch, flywheel, throwout bearing, clutch fork, etc). The break-in period for a new clutch is 500 miles of normal driving and…”

STRUCTURE:BODY · reported 2019-07-24

“There are no power modifications to my vehicle, I just recently installed a lower mileage engine, along with all of the parts surrounding the engine and transmission (ie clutch, flywheel, throwout bearing, clutch fork, etc). The break-in period for a new clutch is 500 miles of normal driving and…”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2019-07-24

“Tl* takata recall. The contact owns a 2002 bmw m5. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 17v047000 (air bags); however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The…”

AIR BAGS · reported 2017-01-20

“While moving the seat forward (valet moved it back) we found that the seats twisted; in our case, the outer side of the seat bottom moved further than the inner side, causing the seats to twist towards the center of the car and leaving them uneven with the dash and front of the car. Attempts to…”

SEATS · reported 2014-10-10

“My rear view mirror failed and leaked a substance which dripped onto my shift lever. Unknowingly I placed my hand on the lever and was contaminated. I also was breathing the vapors which smelled somewhat like dry cleaning fluid. I have been researching and have found that the substance inside the…”

VISIBILITY · reported 2008-06-14

“For some months now, my rearview mirror has been discolored/obstructed with a fluid "bubble" in the glass. I generally only drive the car on weekends in bright and sunny weather, so the decreased visibility isn't a real big a deal as it would be if driven at night or during inclement weather.…”

VISIBILITY:REAR WINDOW WIPER/WASHER · reported 2008-05-01

“Unknown battery drain causes premature failure of battery and more than average replacement intervals - every two years as opposed to 5-7 yrs. Car will not start if idle for 24-48 hours. I would like to file a claim for the charging system and associated equipment for any bmw m5 (e39) built…”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2002-06-28
Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2002 BMW M5 as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.